The Dragons of Ash and Smoke (Tales from the New Earth Book 5)

by J. J. Thompson

  “No idea. Hundreds, at least. The place seems to go on and on. Just when I think I've explored all of it, I'll stumble over another suite of rooms or a small library hidden away.” She hesitated, then continued. “Don't tell anyone I said this, but it's almost like living in a fairy tale castle. The place feels magical somehow. Makes me remember those long lost dreams from my childhood.”

  Simon had to smile at this revelation. It sounded so unlike the tough woman that he knew, he was almost convinced that the place must indeed be enchanted. He was wise enough not to say this to Liliana though.

  “Interesting,” he said instead. “I can't wait to visit. So, about the survivors?”

  “Ah yes, I almost forgot.”

  She reached the corner of the wall and stood looking out over a different section of the country. Simon had been right. A mile or so away were the crashing breakers of the ocean. The water was wild and violent, the shore rugged. There were no gentle sandy beaches here; the water smashed into solid, jagged rock. It looked forbidding.

  “You heard about Clara?” Liliana asked as she watched the distant water.

  Simon rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

  “Yes, I did,” he answered shortly.

  “I rather thought you had. I did not know her very well, Simon, but she seemed like an excellent leader for her people. And a good friend. You have my condolences.”

  “Thanks.”

  He opened a window, letting the sweet air perfumed with the smell of tree sap and damp earth blow by him. Clara would have been so happy to see the spring.

  “The rest of the townspeople made it through the red dragon attack with only minor wounds,” she continued as she leaned against the wall and folded her arms.

  “Malcolm and Aiden have taken over the leadership of the group, voted in by the survivors. They are all doing well. Tamara and Sebastian, the mages from London who discovered this refuge, lead their own people, about forty or so at last count. And from Australia we have the trio of Keiko, Octavian and Miriam, two mages and a cleric.”

  She smiled and shook her head.

  “What?” Simon asked.

  “Oh nothing. It's just that Octavian is a little testy at times. Seems to think he's more wizard than mage. Honestly though, he simply doesn't have your abilities or magical strength. Anyway, they brought their people, about thirty in all, with them when they decided to move here about three months back. The red dragon attacks were relentless down there; apparently the monsters have claimed Australia and won't abide any humans in their territory, not that they wouldn't have attacked anyway, but they seemed particularly vicious against this group.”

  That got Simon's attention.

  “Really? Now that's interesting.”

  Liliana squinted into the wind.

  “Why? The dragons hate us, end of story. It's their task to purge humanity from the world, isn't it? And they've done a fine job,” she added bitterly.

  “I know that, but perhaps the dragons are being extra aggressive down there for a reason. Maybe they're protecting something.”

  “Protecting something?”

  The paladin stood up, shook back her hair and began walking along the wall again.

  “Protecting what?”

  Simon smiled humorlessly.

  “What's the thing that is most important to all lesser dragons? Their primal, of course. Australia may be where the primal red has its lair. Good to know.”

  “If true. Don't jump to conclusions, my friend. The red dragons have multiplied in the months since you've been gone. Every time that Tamara and her brother locate a pocket of Changlings living somewhere, there are almost always dragons in the vicinity. They can sense us, you know. It's no wonder that the human race is teetering on the brink of extinction.”

  “Have you been attacked there?” Simon asked, his mind still considering the possibility that the primal red was hiding somewhere in the Australian desert.

  He'd been staring absently at the distant forest glowing in the sun when Liliana stopped speaking. He peered into the mirror again and saw that she was standing in front of a large mechanism.

  “Not since we got a few of these beauties,” she answered with a cold laugh.

  Simon examined the construct and whistled in appreciation.

  “An arbalest!” he exclaimed. “Now where did you dig that thing up?”

  “We didn't. They're only a few months old. Your friends the dwarves gifted us with them once we had settled in. Their leader, Stanis Ironhand? Yes. He showed up with a number of their drilling machines and offered these to us. Of course we said yes.”

  She pointed in several directions and Simon adjusted his view to examine what she was showing him.

  On each wall, a half dozen of the huge crossbows had been erected and bolted into place in the stone. They were large enough to shoot an iron projectile six feet long and piles of these missiles were stacked neatly next to each weapon.

  “The dwarves taught us how to shoot and instructed our master smith on the forging of the ammunition.”

  She patted the arbalest affectionately.

  Ah Stanis, Simon thought with irritated affection. You never mentioned this to me, did you?

  “And have you had a chance to use them?” He asked as he turned to leave the study. He walked downstairs carefully, watching the paladin and trying not to trip over his own feet at the same time.

  “We have indeed. The dwarves' timing was fortuitous. A few weeks after they gave us these beauties, a pair of red dragons swooped down on the castle. It was late autumn and we were surprised that the beasts would attack in the cold; probably their intent. At any rate, we have crews designated to use the arbalests, a suggestion of the dwarves. They took a while and quite a few bolts to get the proper windage, but once they did, the dragons were no match for the enchanted bolts.”

  “Enchanted?”

  “Yes. The dwarves enchant their weapons as they make them, as I'm sure you know. They taught our smith how to do it too.” She grinned fiercely. “They puncture dragon hide with ease. The two dragons fell in heaps of burning flesh and bone. Quite satisfying.”

  “That sounds fantastic. And no attacks since?”

  “None. We have weekly drills to keep everyone's skills sharp, but so far, so good.”

  “The primal may have warned his followers off, for now,” Simon told her as he set down the mirror on the kitchen counter and filled the kettle with water from the pump next to the sink.

  “The primals know when one of their own is killed, so that would make sense. When there is another attack, and I think we can count on that happening, the dragons will come in force.”

  He hung the kettle over the fire and picked up the mirror again.

  “Let them come,” Liliana said harshly and clapped a hand to her sword hilt. “If the human race goes down, the ground beneath our feet will be drenched with dragon's blood before we fall.”

  “Um, yeah. Let's save that idea as a last resort, shall we?” Simon said and watched as the paladin suddenly grinned.

  “Of course. Sorry, I get a little emotional when it comes to protecting others.”

  “I've noticed. Do me a favor, would you?”

  “Anything, Simon.”

  “Mention that I called to the others? And please tell them that I'll be dropping by sometime in the next week. I think I'd rather they were warned before I pop in; wouldn't want anyone to have a heart attack if I suddenly appear back from the dead.”

  Liliana laughed lightly.

  “I understand. Yes, I will do that. Ah, my friend, it's good to have you back. I just wish I'd thought of carrying around a small mirror so that I could actually see you. This talking to thin air is...unsatisfying.”

  “Just think of it as if we were talking on the phone from back in the old days, before cellphones. It's basically the same thing.”

  “Oh no it isn't,” she said and scowled playfully. “You can still see me, and that simply isn't fair.”

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nbsp; “Fine. So either dig up a mirror or find a reflective surface to look at the next time I call. That works just as well.”

  “Does it? Ah, that's good to know.”

  She froze for a moment and then clapped a hand to her head.

  “Liliana? What is it?” Simon asked, alarmed.

  “I'm an idiot, that's what it is,” she answered and rolled her eyes.

  “What?”

  The paladin held out her arm and the shining silver armor reflected her face with an almost mirror-like quality.

  “I could have just used this,” she said, sounding disgusted with herself.

  “Well, you'll know for next time,” Simon told her, holding back his laughter.

  “I suppose so. It was good to talk to you, sir wizard. I hope we'll see you soon.”

  “You will, I promise. Take care, Liliana.”

  “And you, Simon.”

  He shook the mirror to break the spell, put it down on the table and made his tea. Simon was happier than he'd been in quite a while. While losing Clara was still like an open wound on his heart, he knew that she would have been happy to know that her people were safe. And she had loved Malcolm and Aiden. The fact that they were now leading the survivors of Nottinghill would have pleased her greatly.

  He made his tea and sat down just as the door banged open and Kronk tapped into the room. He closed it behind him and hurried across the room to jump up on to the table.

  “Did you manage to get in touch with the people at Nottinghill Castle, master?” he asked as he stood watching Simon drink his tea.

  “I did, thanks. Well, I spoke with Liliana and she filled me in on what's been happening. They are doing well.”

  He told Kronk about the conversation he'd had with the paladin. The little guy looked particularly happy about the dwarves' support of the new settlement.

  “They are a generous people,” he said when Simon had finished. “It is regrettable that there is a schism between we of the earthen realm and them.”

  “It won't be forever,” Simon told him sympathetically. “I'm sure of it. Attitudes are changing among them and one day, who knows? You may be allies again.”

  Kronk sighed and smiled wistfully.

  “That would be wonderful.”

  “So where's Aeris?”

  The little guy shrugged and scratched his rocky head, making a high-pitched squeaking sound of stone on stone.

  “I do not know, master. He said something about doing a reconnaissance? Then he just left.”

  Simon put down his cup and ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation.

  “Oh for God's sake. Now what?”

  Chapter 9

  Aeris appeared a few hours later, just as Simon was about to lose patience and summon him back.

  The air elemental popped into the wizard's study and floated across the room to the desk, where Simon was writing out a string of ideas that he wanted to get down before they faded from his mind.

  “”What are you writing so frantically?” the air elemental asked curiously.

  The wizard looked up with a frown.

  “Where have you been? I was on the verge of calling you back.”

  “Why? I was fine. I just had an urge to check out the remains of Nottinghill, so I went ahead down. Did you have something else you wanted me to do?”

  “Well, no. But you could have told me or Kronk where you were going. Honestly, you've so impulsive sometimes.”

  Simon went back to his writing.

  “So why exactly did you want to go down there anyway?” he asked as he focused on his notes.

  “Not sure. It was just a whim, I suppose. None of us has been back there since the people deserted it and headed south. I guess I thought that there might be something they'd left behind or overlooked. You know, something useful.”

  Simon glanced up at him.

  “I'm assuming that, since you're empty-handed, you didn't find anything?”

  Aeris hovered over the desk and grimaced.

  “I didn't get the chance. The new residents wouldn't have been too forgiving if I'd started poking around their home.”

  “New residents?” Simon sat up abruptly. “What are you talking about? What new residents?”

  “Bears, my dear wizard. Well, I'm guessing that they used to be bears. Like so many animals in this new world of yours, they've Changed into something else.” He gave a small shudder. “Something quite intimidating, actually.”

  Simon put down his pencil and sat back on his chair.

  “In what way?”

  Aeris picked up the pencil and grabbed a sheet of paper.

  “May I?”

  “Of course.”

  The elemental began drawing at a furious speed while Simon watched, fascinated as always. One of the talents of Aeris and his people was the ability to scout out an area and then make incredibly accurate sketches of what they had seen. Pictures of animals, people, even detailed maps of whole swatches of land; anything they had seen, they could draw.

  While Aeris was at work, Kronk tip-tapped into the room and stopped in the doorway, surprised. Simon waved him over silently, not wanting to interrupt the air elemental.

  “Where did he go, master?” the little guy whispered to Simon when he jumped up on the desk and stood next to the wizard.

  “Nottinghill. Apparently something's moved in there and he's sketching it out for me.”

  “Ah, I see.” Kronk replied as he watched Aeris. “Interesting. By the way, master, the stable is clean and the horses are fed. Oh and the lake had warmed up sufficiently for a dip tomorrow, if you feel up to it.”

  “Really? That's awesome. Thanks.”

  “Thank the weather, master,” the little guy said with a smile. “We are approaching summer, after all.”

  They both became silent and watched Aeris as he drew so quickly that his hand was just a blur.

  “Why were you two whispering?” he asked absently.

  “We didn't want to distract you,” Simon told him.

  “What is distracting is people muttering around me. Please don't do that.”

  Kronk looked wryly at the wizard, who just rolled his eyes.

  “There we are,” Aeris said a minute later. He offered Simon the paper and put down his pencil.

  “What the hell is this?” Simon asked as he gaped at the drawing.

  “Oh my. These things are living in Nottinghill now?” Kronk asked in disbelief.

  “They are. Now you can see why I stopped before actually entering the town. Oh and they repaired the walls and the main gate too, so it would have been difficult to get in anyway. I don't know if they could see me if I was invisible, so I didn't take the chance.”

  “Unbelievable,” Simon murmured as he examined the picture closely.

  A large creature that only vaguely resembled a bear stared out at him. It was shaggy, with long arms tipped with claws, short legs and a heavy body. But the face, though muzzled like a bear's, showed an intelligence that was extremely disconcerting. The wide eyes seemed to weigh and examine Simon.

  Even odder, the creature was wearing clothing! True, it was only a heavy belt around its waist and some sort of harness that criss-crossed its shoulders, but a crude sword was at its hip and a necklace made of bone hung around its neck.

  “What the hell is this?” Simon repeated, stunned. “Where did they come from? How many are there? You said they repaired the town. Can they use tools?”

  He stopped as he realized that he was babbling.

  Aeris watched him with an amused expression.

  “Which question shall I start with? First, I have no idea what they are called. Bearmen? Ursine warriors? Who knows. Second, I don't know where they came from or how long they have lived in Nottinghill. We haven't been back since last year, so they could have been there almost as long. The repairs on the walls are long done, so I'd guess it's been months at least.”

  Simon was listening numbly, still staring at the drawing.

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p; “I counted at least twenty of them,” Aeris continued. “The males are quite large, eight feet tall at least. The females are smaller by about a foot or more. I saw three young ones, cubs I suppose you'd call them.”

  He tapped the paper to get Simon's attention and the wizard looked up at him.

  “All of them walk on their hind legs like people,” he said evenly and nodded when Simon's eyes widened. “Exactly. They are intelligent and human-like. My conclusion is that either they are bears that were Changed by the dark gods, or humans mutated by the lords of Light.”

  “Why would you say that?” Kronk asked him with a frown. “Why would the lords of Light turn humans into,” he looked at the drawing, “that?”

  “Survival perhaps,” Aeris replied in a neutral tone of voice. “I'd guess that the dragons and dark gods alike would be unable to track a mutation like these creatures, at least not as easily as they seem to be able to track humans. As I've said, they are definitely intelligent. Maybe they are content to have survived, especially if their minds were altered to accept their Change as natural.” He shrugged. “Certainly I saw no contention among them. The young ones were playing together quite happily and the population seemed industrious and placid. I am not even convinced that they are dangerous; I simply did not want to stir them up by making myself known to them.”

  Simon began nodding slowly as Aeris spoke.

  “You make a good point,” he said as he looked at the picture again. “They are scary, yes, but appearances can be deceiving. Hmm.”

  The elementals watched him silently.

  “So, do you think that trying to make contact with them would be useful?” he asked Aeris after thinking about it for a few minutes.

  “Ah, good question.”

  Aeris stroked his chin as he bobbed up and down gently.

  “Maybe so. It would certainly be advantageous to find out if our new neighbors are hostile or friendly. If they are productive, we could perhaps engage in trade in the future.” He suddenly grinned. “Oh, I almost forgot. I think they must like honey, just like the creatures they resemble.”

  “How could you possibly know that?” Kronk asked him.

  “In the field just outside of the front gates, they've build bee hives; dozens of them. They tend them with great care, I think, because they are clean and well made.”